2.1 Introduction to Nutrition Flashcards
(35 cards)
Nutrition
is the study of how your body uses the food you eat to keep you healthy and active
Nutrients are
chemical substances found in food and are necessary for your body to function
Nutrients are needed for the following:
Gives you energy → calories
Growth and development
Bodily repairs
Maintain basic bodily functions
Nutrient Dense Food
Foods that are typically low in calories (but not always), but high in a variety of nutrients
Example: whole grains and fish
Empty Calorie
Foods that are typically high in calories, but low in a variety of nutrients
Example: pop and chips
Dietary Reference Intake (DRI)
who established DRI?
Specific amounts of each nutrient are required to prevent nutrient deficiencies
Health Canada has established DRI as a set of nutrient reference values for healthy individuals
ENERGY:
measured in calories
allows the body to carry out functions for an active lifestyle
NUTRIENTS:
substances found in food and needed by the body to function, grow, repair itself and produce energy
fuel for cell activity
nutrients provide the physical and metabolic basis for nearly all we are and all we do
Essential Nutrients
Those that the body cannot make itself but are needed to build and maintain body tissue (i.e. calcium, vitamin c, protein, etc)
Calories
A calorie is a unit that measures how much energy a particular food provides to the body
Energy Balance
Energy balance is the difference between your energy input and your energy output.
Energy input is the number of calories that you put into your body, and energy output is the number of calories you burn each day.
Energy balance can be represented by the following equation:
Energy Balance = calories in (energy input) = calories out (energy output)
Energy Balance
We use energy for such things as:
Resting
Physical activity and movement
Food digestion, absorption, and transportation
Energy balance also has to do with what is going
on in your cells.
A positive energy balance is when you have more
calories in than out.
A negative energy balance is when we have more calories going out,
than we do going in.
A negative energy balance, for a prolonged period of time, can lead to a
decline in metabolism, decrease in bone mass, and an inability to concentrate, and a reduction in physical performance.
A negative energy balance does lead to
weight loss.
The body detects an energy deficit and fat reserves are called upon to make up for the difference.
The use of fat reserves results in the decrease in the weight of an individual.
A positive energy balance happens when we put more energy into our bodies than we use.
This can be detrimental to our health as it can impact
our weight, and overall health and cellular fitness.
Positive energy balance is often associated with
overfeeding.
With this, plaque can build up in arteries, and the blood pressure and cholesterol in the body can increase.
Maintaining an energy balance happens when the energy we put into our bodies
, and the energy we are using are pretty much equal to each other.
Being in an energy balance means that we are neither losing weight, nor gaining weight. Rather, we are maintaining a healthy neutral status that allows for our bodies to function healthily.
Ways that we can help to maintain energy balance are as follows:
Increase your physical activity
Make small adjustments to your diet
A calorie is a unit of measurement –
it measures energy.
Our bodies need calories for energy, but eating too many calories and not burning enough of them, can lead to
weight gain and stress on our organs.
